The Hunter
by Nicicia
Summary: People often think killers are entirely cruel, cold, and heartless. In the case of Eren Jaeger, this is wholly untrue. [ AU. Eren/Armin romantic friendship. Mature themes.]
1. Chapter 1

**Alternate Universe. **

**Warnings: Murder. Mentions of Rape. Child Abuse (past). Corruption. **

**It's a cruel world.**

* * *

Levi, a man of an age few would guess by looking at him, and a height which only contributed to that fact, clicked the OFF button on the TV remote and stared at the blank screen.

"Still nothing. Seems mainstream media don't bother reporting murders of society's lowest. Corrupt piece of trash. The police are probably half-assing their way through a sorry excuse of an investigation too. If they're bothering to investigate at all."

"They're just confirmed disappearances." A voice said from the shadows in the corner of the room. "No bodies have been found yet."

"They disappeared because they have been killed. I've had a few run-ins with a couple of the drug dealers in the past, their business was going better than ever, they wouldn't simply disappear without at least keeping their most profitable clientele informed." Levi's tone was even and casual, almost bored. "The only way they would disappear from the streets would be if their lives where cut short. They were clearly killed. You know this."

With that, Levi rose from the sofa and swiftly walked over to the small kitchen area and filled a kettle with water.

"It's difficult to tell whether this guy, or I suppose, woman, is an expert or just some wannabe vigilante."

"Five victims have disappeared in the last three weeks. And in the last three months a total of fifteen wanted criminals have disappeared. I wouldn't quite call that the work of an amateur."

Levi gave the figure in the shadows a bored glance. "Seriously, come out from that corner, you look like you're here to assassinate me. And unless that's what you're actually here to do, I'd prefer seeing your face when I'm giving you information. "

"I was just leaning against the wall." The figure said with a small inclination of amusement, and stepped into the light.

Apparently pleased with the actions, Levi turned back to the counter and pressed the kettle on.

"You think this really is some kind of vigilante?" The man asked.

"Probably. Who knows. But only one of the criminals was of any importance, and only because he supplied a good number of junkies. The rest was just petty criminals. Would it make sense for a professional to go after small fry like that?"

"Unless their payment was pretty decent, it is doubtful."

"Exactly. But you're just using me to confirm your own theories now." Levi said. "You already ruled out professional hitman, didn't you? The evidence all point toward an amateur, or at least someone who is sufficient at killing but not necessarily experienced."

For a minute there was heavy silence as Levi put some black tea in the pot and poured the boiled water in. After another minute, Levi regarded the tea with a critical eye, and apparently satisfied, retrieved a cup from the cabinet overhead.

"But one thing is for sure," Levi said, the tea steaming as he poured it into the white porcelain cup. "Whoever this guy is, he is good at disposing bodies."

Holding the cup in a peculiar grip, using all the fingers on his hand, Levi took a sip of the scolding hot tea, as though he was impervious to the heat. "He'll strike again soon. And probably make a mistake, too."

"What makes you say that?" The other man sounded rather surprised.

Levi took his time to swallow another mouthful of tea before he turned to the man with a blank stare. "With his track record he obviously doesn't beat around the bush, his aim is quantity, and when someone kills so much, it's only a matter of time before they slip up, as you know. He's already earned himself a shitty nickname among the underground scum too. You know what they call him?" Levi took another quick sip before continuing, and his eyes seemed to flicker with some hidden emotion for a second before returning to the usual impassiveness.

"The Hunter."

* * *

"Armin!" Eren shouted as soon as he spotted the familiar head of blonde hair appearing in the school's doorway.

"Eren," Armin said, swiftly waking over the small lawn to the road where Eren stood waiting, a small stack of books nearly tumbling from under his arms. "You know you don't have to pick me up from school."

"I'm not picking you up." Eren said, taking a couple of books from Armin's arms. "Just...walking you home, or just walking home with you."

"Eren, I appreciate your efforts, you know I do." Armin made to grab his books back from Eren's hands, only to almost lose the grip on the ones under his arm. "But it's been months already. And it's bright daylight, nothing would happen. And I can carry all my books by myself."

"I know that." Eren said, and he looked into Armin's sky blue eyes and smiled. "I just want to carry them today."

They have had the conversation many times before; Eren knew Armin was fully aware of his stubbornness and would give in eventually, though he still kept reminding Eren he could take care of himself. Eren knew he was being somewhat overprotective, and he did wonder at times if walking home with Armin had more to do with reassuring himself Armin would come home than Armin's actual safety.

Armin ceased his efforts to take his books back and sighed, as though letting Eren know that he could keep carrying the books, but Armin wasn't entirely happy about it. Eren grinned and after a moment, Armin's expression softened and he tentatively smiled back. Joy and relief surged through Eren's chest at the sight, Armin always had a beautiful smile, it drew Eren in like beacon, it had lifted him up from dark places and lit something within him, an unknown power, a strength he hadn't known he possessed. As long as Armin was in his life, Eren felt like he could conquer the world.

He put his free arm around Armin's shoulders, feeling him relax into Eren's hold. The comforting warmth from Armin's body spread through Eren's clothes and into his arm, and he relished in it. As long as Armin was warm, he was still alive, and Eren was not going to let anybody steal that from him.

I won't let them take Armin, or Mikasa. I definitely won't.

Eren didn't let his hold on Armin drop until they stood in front of the shabby door to their shared flat, and he had to fish for the key in his jacket pocket. Armin finally took his books back as Eren unlocked the door. They entered the small flat in silence, as soon as his shoes were off, Armin headed straight for the bathroom to shower as usual. Eren headed for the kitchen, which was a small counter with a sink, an old dishwasher, four drawers, and a couple of cabinets overhead with rusty hinges which threatened to come off and drop the doors any moment. A small fridge reaching up to Eren's stomach stood next to the counter. In fact, the flat was more like a small cabin, only one floor, with a joined living room and kitchen, a bathroom with the square inch of a broom closet, and a small dark bedroom. To most people, such living conditions would be seen as poor, but to Eren, the little flat was a paradise. Sure, the place got so cold in winter they had to sleep huddled up in front the fireplace, and the shower only had about five minutes of hot water a day if they wanted to use the washer later, but Eren was proud to call this place his home. Not many children managed to live on their own after moving out from the horrible excuse of an orphanage.

Eren had just finished making a couple of jam sandwiches and was sitting on the ragged sofa when Armin appeared in a fresh set of clothes, drying his hair with a towel. Eren handed him one of the sandwiches as Armin took a seat. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, they munched on their meal in comfortable silence, Eren breathing in the sweet scent of Armin's newly washed hair. He remembered going with Mikasa and picking out the more expensive shampoo, together with a fairly pricy soap, they had wanted Armin to look and smell clean and proper at school. Though when Armin had discovered he was apparently the only one using said products, he had insisted Eren and Mikasa use them as well, but they never did. In the name of fairness Armin had tried to stop using the expensive soaps and shampoo only to receive a threat from Mikasa to start using them again or she would personally wash him herself. Eren had no doubt Mikasa would do good on her words.

It was little things, but Eren and Mikasa wanted to give Armin all the support they could, even if they were only able to get him better soap, a few clothes of decent quality, and even a few healthier meals. Armin had protested at first when Eren and Mikasa had started spending money on him, and Mikasa had made that scary face promising dire consequences if he didn't comply, Eren found it amusing in hindsight, but he knew Armin still felt guilty about being given so much by his friends.

As soon as he was finished eating, Armin started on his homework, and made Eren read several pages of his science textbook. Eren didn't mind, he knew it lessened Armin's guilt a little if Eren and Mikasa could gain knowledge from his education, even if they would never receive any diploma.

After about an hour, Eren rose from his seat and stretched. "I have to get back to work. Mikasa should be home soon. You don't mind being by yourself for a bit, do you?"

Armin shook his head. He always did. Eren didn't like leaving him alone, but he was pretty sure no one would bother robbing a small hut like theirs, seeing as it likely wouldn't be any riches to find. They would be right, unless you counted Armin, who, to Eren, was worth more than a hundred times his own weight in gold.

"Then I'll get going." Eren grabbed his jacket from the small hook on the wall and flung it on. "See you later, Armin."

"See you."

Eren lingered for a moment with his hand on the doorknob and looked back at Armin, who had engrossed himself in his books again. With a fond smile, Eren headed out, locking the door behind him.

It was a relatively short walk to his workplace, a small café at a corner of the town's best shopping street. During the last year, Eren had gone through several odd jobs, but this one was the highest paying one, by far. Getting labour jobs were simple enough without any kind of diploma or qualifications, but to get a job in the respected area of town was something Eren was especially proud of. He had persuaded and pleaded with the owner of the café to let him work there for a week for free, to prove how good a worker he would be. It was risky, going a week without pay, but if it meant getting a permanent job with, although low, but not terribly so, wages, was a gamble he was willing to bet on. After that week, the owner had been so satisfied with Eren's hard work she had given him a regular position. Although she did warn him not to start slacking off just because he had proven himself. Eren never did. He couldn't afford to. This was a job he could not risk getting fired from.

He entered the café through the back door, grabbed an apron from the small staff room and went out into the dining area. The owner greeted him with a smile from the counter. "Afternoon, Eren."

"Good afternoon, Miss Kirschtein." Eren smiled warmly back at her.

"You can start cleaning the empty tables. Then I need you on the counter."

"Yes, I'll get to right away." He dashed for the staff room to get cleaning supplies.

Eren cleaned the tables with an air of professionalism, having done this so many times he hardly needed to think about what he was doing anymore. Whenever he didn't man the counter, he usually cleaned the tables, the floors, the kitchen, the whole place. For the last couple of months, he had even been given baking duties as well. Owner Kirschtein had taught him how to bake bread and simple cakes, and Eren already knew how to make sandwiches thanks to the orphanage's kitchen duties. The task of preparing the goods to sell was something Eren treated as an honour and sign of great trust from Owner Kirschtein. After all, it was what brought the customers in and the business afloat. His pay had even been raised. Eren had been working the morning round that day, then a few hours break, which coincided perfectly with when Armin got out of school. He didn't get a midday break every day, but when he did, he usually went to walk Armin home and grab some food. All in all, the job was more than he could have hoped for. Sure, it wasn't his dream, but for as long as he needed, he would work there. Eren didn't mind the hard work, if the job had any points he particularly disliked it would have had to be-

"Yo, mom, I'm home."

Owner Kirschtein's son, Jean. A tall teenager, sixteen years old just like Eren, waltzed in through the front door. The sight of Jean's grin of laziness and carelessness made Eren grit his teeth.

As usual, Jean went straight past Eren without acknowledging his presence, much to Eren's preference, and headed straight to the counter. Owner Kirschtein slapped her son's hand away from a sugar coated bun.

"Oh no. You have food upstairs. This is for the customers."

Jean looked put out as he trudged to the staffroom, and Eren had to suppress a snicker. He hoped Jean would stay upstairs for at least an hour before his mother called him to work. The Kirschteins lived in a flat above the café, and owner Kirschtein made Jean work part time. Eren hadn't been too pleased when he found out Jean was in Armin's class at school, he would prefer Jean and Armin never even meet each other, though Armin had assured Eren Jean wasn't a disrespectful student. Eren had snorted. He may not be a slacker at school, but working in the café was another story.

Sure enough, an hour later, Jean was grumbling his way through the dishes in the café kitchen while Eren was manning the counter. Eren was glad he didn't have to interact with Jean too much today. Jean tended to half ass his way through work while Eren did his absolute best. It was clear from the first time they had to work together, that Jean didn't care about his mother's café in the slightest, at least not about working there. He complained about how his mother made him work just because it was "the family business", and how he would much rather be out with friends doing things Eren could never afford the time to do. Jean had mistaken Eren for another lazy kid, and his look of surprise when Eren had rounded on him had been pretty comical. Jean didn't know how great his life was, the fact that he even had the luxury of complaining was proof enough that he had little reason to. Jean didn't have to work to support himself, he could go after his dream, and he could afford to be lazy without starving to death, while Eren had no choice but to put in his best efforts into everything.

It was dark by the time Eren finished work. He ony had one interaction with Jean while sweeping the floors after closing time. He had almost bit through his lip holding himself back from sneering an insult at Jean who had made a poor effort packing up leftovers. Owner Kirscthtein had been in the room, and Eren was not going to start a fight with Jean when it risked him falling out with his employer. When Jean had retreated upstairs, it seemed his efforts had paid off. Owner Kirschtein had handed Eren a bag with leftovers.

"Take this home with you, Eren. These will be too old to sell tomorrow, but I'm sure they could last another day if you don't eat them tonight."

"T-thank you so much, miss!" Eren had thanked her with tears at the corners of his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had gotten to take home goods from the bakery, but this wasn't just any old bread, this was cupcakes.

When Eren made his way out the door, he couldn't stop thinking about how Armin and Mikasa's expressions would look like when he would present them with a box full of cupcakes. He was so happy he almost skipped, but managed to hold himself back, not wanting to jostle the cupcakes and look like a five year-old in the process. He couldn't wait to get home, he wanted to get there as quickly as possible, but he had something else to do first. The thought made him slow his pace. He glanced up at the town's clock tower, the large face illuminated yellowish. Almost 9 o clock.

One hour.

Eren tucked the bag containing the box of cupcakes more securely under his arm and made his way down the familiar streets. He took his usual turns, strolling at a moderate pace but still quick enough to match the people around him. As he walked, the streets became emptier and emptier as he neared the outskirts of town, where cobbles ended and gravel and dirt roads began. At last he reached the end of the lit streets, and in front of him laid complete darkness.

His own footsteps sounded too loud in his ears as he walked into the dark, carefully counting his steps in his mind. When the street lights were completely out of sight, Eren strayed from the small road and swiftly made his way in between the trees. His eyes would need another few minutes to get completely adjusted to the darkness, but with the moonlight, he could see well enough to know where he was going. The moss, roots, and grass underneath his feet were familiar to him. His heartbeat was even, there was little to fear in this forest at night, at least for Eren. People couldn't see well so there would be no one around, and if there was, they would certainly carry torches and the light would give them away. Eren would not be spotted. Even he was, the knife tucked in his pocket was a comforting weight. He had walked in this forest many times in daylight, and easily followed his mental map of it.

Eren heard the tell-tale sounds of a small creek and turned left to walk behind a cluster of large rocks covered in moss. He felt his way along the cold stone and velvety soft surface until he found the crack between the rocks. The crack was just wide enough to stick his arm through. He only needed to rummage for a second before his hand found hold on his goal. He pulled a couple of dark rucksacks, and a larger bag out from where the items had been stuffed. He brushed some leaves and dirt from the sacks before he undid the clasps.

He had chosen rucksacks without zippers specifically because it made very little noise when opening and closing, despite the fact that no one would be around to hear it. With only the gentle sounds of water flowing in the creek, Eren stripped off his clothes, one layer at a time, putting each garment in the empty sack as he progressed. When he was down to his underwear and standing barefoot on the ground, he reached for the second rucksack and started pulling out another set of clothes and putting them on quickly, including a completely different pair of shoes. He only owned two, and this pair was never to enter his home.

When he was done changing, he was wearing a completely different outfit, all black, and a dark green coat, with the large empty bag strapped to his back underneath. He remembered the cupcakes, and tucked the plastic bag securely around the cardboard box to prevent insects from getting inside. The box wouldn't fit between the rocks, and not wanting to risk crushing the cupcakes, he decided to leave it under some branches; nobody would find it anyway. When he had put the rucksacks back between the rocks, Eren pulled up the hood on the coat and started on his way.

His route out of the forest was in the opposite direction of the one he had entered, and it took a little longer before he reached buildings again. This part of town had darker streets, some of the lights weren't working, and hadn't for some time. Not many people lived in this part of town. This was the sanctuary for the lowest in society, the shady people with a hefty criminal record. Although in the last few weeks, fewer and fewer seemed to hang out in these parts. On one of walks through the place in daylight, when it was deemed a lot safer, Eren had heard a few cluster of junkies whisper about finding other places to use for their nightly activities since this was the most likely place to be caught by The Hunter. Eren didn't know who this hunter was, but he would find out later, if whoever it was the cause of potential targets moving locations.

This night, though Eren knew his target would be close to this part of town. He had taken nightly walks past the nearest nightclub before, seeing the man creep about in the alleys every time. Chances were high he would be here again tonight. Eren didn't stalk targets that much, mostly because Armin and Mikasa didn't like Eren being out at night, but he had seen this man hang around one of his previous targets, had overheard him brag about what he had done to some poor girl. After seeing the way the man leered and stalked around the young women and men coming and going from the nightclub, it was only a matter of time before something happened again, and when it did, Eren would be there. There was no guarantee it would be tonight, but then Eren would simply be back tomorrow night, unless something else came up.

The muted thumps of music reached Eren's ears. He turned a corner and the nightclub came within sight. Eren ducked into a nearby alley casually and leaned against a wall. From the pocket of his trousers, he withdrew a packet of cigarettes and a lighter and kept them in his gloved hands while he watched the nightclub. Young people kept coming in, and a few were already stumbling back outside and down the streets, away from the shady part of town. That place didn't bode well for drunken teenagers. The legal drinking age was sixteen, and the majority of the club's guests were under twenty, most of them were probably there without their parents' consent, at least Eren couldn't imagine most parents letting their kids go clubbing so close to Trost's famous drug district.

Sure enough, there was his target, sneaking around in another nearby alley. Eren couldn't see him when he went too far behind the buildings, but the man had to stay in Eren's view if he wanted to sneak peeks at the nightclub.

Eren wasn't sure how long he had been watching the man. More than once did he remember he had a box of cupcakes waiting back in the forest, and he found himself longing to share them with Armin and Mikasa. Only one time had someone approached the alley Eren was standing in, and as the group of men had come closer, Eren had taken a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. He had pretended to smoke as the men went past, and they didn't spare him a second glance. Eren had learned pretty quickly smokers were usually left alone for some reason, so he had decided to use this to his advantage. He had let the cigarette burn out a little more while he watched his target before putting it out.

An argument had broken out among a cluster of teenagers outside the club. Eren watched a boy yelling at smaller girl, who didn't even seem to bother arguing back, and eventually turned away from him and his friends, and began to walk off.

The girl was approaching his target's alley now, and Eren's gut feeling immediately told him something was wrong. The girl was short, with shoulder-length blonde hair, reminding Eren somewhat of Armin's, and the thought sent shivers down his spine. She was walking steadily, so she likely wasn't drunk, although with her petite size she would be an ideal victim for his target. Eren knew what was going to happen before it did. He saw the girl pause and look into the alley with a concerned look; she hesitated for a moment, but then slowly walked into the shadows. Eren didn't hear a scream, but he knew his target had made his move.

Eren darted into the streets and when he reached the other alley; he saw nothing less of what he had expected. His target had the girl in a tight hold, using a rag to muffle her screams. The girl was kicking but the man had her lifted off the ground and her efforts were rendered futile. Even in the shadows, Eren saw tears glistening at the corners of her eyes.

A fiery heat spread in Eren's chest, and the urge to charge was overwhelming, the knife in his pocket calling to him.

No, he couldn't draw it. Not yet.

"Oi!" Eren yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

The man looked up at Eren sharply, and gave a small gasp of surprise. Before the man had the chance to do anything more, Eren shouted again.

"RAPE! QUICK! SOMEONE IS GETTING RAPED OVER HERE! RAPE! RAPE!"

Eren wasn't sure if there was anyone around sober enough to register what he had said, but it didn't matter. The man quickly let go of the girl made a run for it. He dashed past Eren and into the streets. Eren watched him run for less than half a minute before he started jogging after him. He didn't like leaving the girl alone, but hopefully she would get on her feet or someone who had heard his shout would come help her. Eren had a job to do.

The man slowed down when he reached the next street, but didn't stop running. Eren darted between a couple of buildings and ran down a narrow side street.

Turn left, one door, two doors, keep calm, then right. Calm. Up a small staircase, calm, left...

Eren paused and looked out into the main street. Sure enough, there was his target, jogging soppily now, towards where Eren was hidden in the shadows.

He could let the fire in his cut engulf him at last. It felt wonderful to let it out, he didn't know how much longer he could have held it in. His fingers curled around the handle of his knife, and it was like a hidden part of him roared in jubilation at finally being let out to play.

The target was approaching. Eren undid the buttons on his jacket.

Closer...closer...

His arms were burning, his legs slightly bent...He let his jacket drop to the ground...

Come on, closer...

The man was right in front of him now, and in a split second, Eren could see the dark eyes, the sweaty brow, the mouth open in a ragged breath.

Eren moved. In a swift move, Eren wrapped one arm around the man's neck, pulled him into the shadows and kicked his legs from under him while pushing down with his other arm on the man's back. His target hit the ground with chocked breath and a hard thud. Eren didn't give him time to turn around before he kicked him in the head. The man couldn't scream as his breath had been knocked out of him in the fall. Eren quickly kicked the target onto his back and loomed over him, saw the man's dark eyes widen as Eren held up his knife. An expression of fear started forming on the man's face, and Eren grinned savagely.

You know how it feels, now, don't you?

That was all Eren was going to give him. Before the man had any chance to move, Eren plunged the knife into the exposed throat. The man tried to scream but only gurgling, chocking sounds came out.

"You think it's fun to torture innocents?" Eren whispered, though he wanted to shout it in the man's face. He pulled out the knife and raised it, not even sparing a second glance at the dark liquid gushing from the man's throat.

"You think it's fun to rape young girls and boys? You're nothing but trash!" Eren growled, and he brought the knife into the man's stomach and twisted it. "You're not worthy to live. Scum like you should just disappear."

Eren pulled the knife back out again, dark crimson droplets flaying and staining Eren's already dark shirt. He raised the knife one last time, and with a burst of extra strength and a roaring, gut deep sense of satisfaction, he stabbed into his target's heart.

The gurgling sounds subsided, and man's chest stilled.

Another piece of trash gone from the world...

The fire in Eren's gut dimmed a little. That part of him apparently satisfied with its playtime. Eren couldn't let it retreat back to sleep quite yet though, the work was only half finished. Thoughts of Armin and Mikasa, and the waiting cupcakes were sneaking their way into his mind.

Soon.

He would go home soon.

He let out a long breath, hid his knife back in his pocket, grabbed one of the man's limp legs and held it up. Eren placed his foot on the knee and readied himself, gathering up his strength, and let his whole weight into stomping down. There was a muffled crunching sound, and Eren wondered if some of the bone had pierced the skin. He held up the leg again, bending it backwards, and felt the limb giving little resistance to the awkward angle.

He repeated the process with the other leg and moved on to the arms. Holding them up and stomping down on the back of the elbow. The arms didn't usually obstruct much, but he did them anyway. As he kicked in the ribs, he wondered if he had to do the shoulders too, the man was quite tall...Eren brought the bag down from his back, opened it up and laid it out beside the target, displaying the inside completely covered in some kind of plastic like material. He used his legs to roll the target into the bag. Eren did his best to tuck the body into it, bending the legs and arms, finding out he didn't have to pull the shoulders out the sockets this time as apparently the work on the ribs had made it easier to bend. He must have managed to hit the spine somehow as well. It was still a snug fit, but he managed to close the bag.

Eren put his coat back on before he heaved the bag onto his back. It was no less heavy then he was used to, and he didn't look forward to the walk out of town, but it had to be done. He had no choice but to muster up the strength. Idly he noticed a few pools of liquid on the cobbles. He probably shouldn't have gone for the throat, as it left the most mess. Well, it wasn't the first time he had left a little bit behind anyway. Not wanting to linger any longer, Eren started down the narrow alleyway.

He kept to the small, unlit side streets and alleys as much as he could. Only having to walk a little bit down a wider street before he could duck down a small alley again, he only passed one person on his way, a staggering middle-aged man who probably didn't even see him, and wouldn't remember much in the morning. Eren was grateful people usually didn't go out at night in Trost, with the exceptions of pubs and nightclubs, which closed at midnight anyway. He didn't have a view of the clock tower on his route, but from experience, Eren guessed it was probably already past midnight by the time he reached the dirt roads and wandered into the forest. The moonlight had a certain look to it which it did between twelve and one in the morning.

Armin and Mikasa were most likely asleep by now. He could present them the cupcakes at breakfast, then. A homely feeling spread in Eren's chest, that warm, comforting spark of affection, and it spurred him on to walk faster. He wanted to get back to his friends as soon as possible.

After a few more minutes, Eren finally reached his destination, a riverbank. He let the bag fall from his back and removed his coat again and hung it on a tree branch. His legs and shoulder muscles felt a little numb after carrying so much weight, but he couldn't give himself time to rest just yet. Reaching underneath a bush next to him, Eren pulled out the axe hiding between the branches. He put the axe on the ground by his feet so he could use both his hands to open the bag. The body hardly made any sound as Eren dumped it on the rocks close to the water's edge.

Although visibility was fairly limited, Eren let his previous experience guide his actions. The first few times he had removed clothing in the darkness had been awkward, he had pulled and ripped, and learned that it was better to just use his knife to cut the clothes off. He worked quickly, cutting up the seams and pulling the fabric pieces off and putting them in a heap. Once the body was bare, Eren didn't even spare it a glance before he retrieved the axe and set to work. This river was perfect, the water flowed away from the town and into the wilderness, washing away the spill, and Eren knew the water level would rise in a few days and wash the rocks clean as well. He had considered just dumping the entire thing in the water but he didn't want to risk it getting washed up on the bank and being found somehow. No, this was more effective, and the rage inside him felt more satisfied.

Eren had developed a good working pace, having cut lots of firewood before he even started doing this sort of thing had made him comfortable and familiar with using the axe, and it didn't take long before he was done. He rinsed the axe in the river before he put it back under the bush, trading it for a spade he also kept hidden there. Putting the pieces back into the bag was easy and quick, and he stuffed in the remnants of the clothes in a smaller compartment in the bag before he put his coat back on. The bag, though still quite heavy, felt much lighter this time. He picked up the spade, holding it under his coat with one hand, while the other held onto the bag's strap across his chest, and left the bank. He was almost done for night.

Just a little bit more...

His gait was brisk and quick, sometimes a little too sloppy and almost tripping over a few roots. Eren knew his route well though, and reached his next stop in only a few minutes. His breathing was a little harsh as he climbed over the stones serving as a fence, and he allowed himself a couple of extra seconds to draw more air into his lungs before he started his way between the empty enclosures. Thankfully, the pig's pen was close to the barn and not the main farm house, and Eren wouldn't be spotted unless someone walked past him, which was unlikely in the middle of the night. Eren could see the pigs perk up as he neared, but they didn't make any loud noises.

Eren put the bag down, opened it up and rummaged for a while, feeling for the pieces with the least bones. The farmers fed the pig all kinds of weird stuff, Eren had seen bones in their tray before, leaving a few wasn't a big issue as long as they weren't too big. As he found the slices he was looking for, he threw them into the pig's tray. The animals quickly scooted forward and started wolfing up the meal. When the only pieces left were too big for Eren to risk throwing in, he closed up the bag and once again went on his way.

Only two more stops now...

His next destination was just a minute away from the farm. Eren stepped over another small stone fence and made his way swiftly among the gravestones. There it was, just like he had seen that morning, the mound of dirt from a newly dug grave, fresh from a funeral. A few months prior, Eren had been severely conflicted about defiling the resting place of someone else, but it had been put to light that instead of disrespecting the deceased, they would instead, in death, be assisting Eren in disposing of the trash.

He moved a few flower bouquets out of the way with a careful hand. A part of Eren still felt a little guilty as he thrust the spade into the earth and dug up a small part of the had to be done, he couldn't risk burning today, so this would have to do.

Eren emptied the rest of the bag's contents into the hole, including the pieces of clothing, and put the dirt back on top, flattening it with the spade. He gently put the flowers back on the mound, giving a mental apology, and quickly left the graveyard.

On his way back to his hidden clothes, Eren's thoughts were of Armin and Mikasa, the cupcakes, and the next day. After Eren had changed back into his usual clothes and hidden away the stained ones in a rucksack between the rocks, he had been very happy to find the cupcakes were still looking good.

He took the forest route back to the flat, which lay on the outskirts of town, something Eren was really grateful for at times like this. The night had started to lighten somewhat, and by the time Eren reached his home, he guessed it was about two in the morning. He had been pretty fast tonight.

Eren tried to make as few sounds as possible as he entered and removed his shoes. He took the box of cupcakes out of the plastic bag and put it on the kitchen counter, and then he put the bag in the cabinet underneath the sink before he went to the bathroom to change into his night shirt and brush his teeth. In the mirror he spotted a few red stains on his cheeks, and washed them off. Good thing he had kept his hood up on the way home too, and hadn't run into anyone.

Now that he was home, he felt the full extent of his tiredness, the aching back, the stiff calves, and knotty shoulders. Despite the fatigue, Eren was satisfied. The day had been fairly smooth. Work had been alright, the job had been without much trouble, and he had a surprise for his friends in the morning. He let out a big yawn as he exited the bathroom and headed for the bedroom. When he opened the door, the soft sounds of sleepy breathing were the first thing to greet him. He could barely make out the two lumps on the joined mattresses on the floor, but Eren knew who slept where. It was with a deep feeling of contentment that Eren padded over to his mattress in the middle, laid down under the covers and turned over on his side to face Armin's sleeping form. Gently, Eren reached out and put one arm around Armin's shoulders and scooted himself a little closer. Armin had the covers drawn up all the way over his mouth, and he made a small muffled sound when he leaned into Eren's embrace.

Eren's chest surged with warmth, and he drew Armin in even closer. Armin's long, steady breaths were warm on Eren's face, and when he felt Mikasa's hand tangle in the back of his shirt, Eren wished he could pause time and live in this moment forever, and he let the gentle sounds of his sleeping friends lull him into a peaceful sleep.

Eren awoke to his shoulders being lightly shaken and a voice saying his name. His eyes ached as he opened them, and his vision was slightly blurry as he looked up at Armin's face.

"Armin." Eren's mouth felt like sandpaper, and his voice sounded rough to his own ears. "What time is it?

"Seven thirty." Armin answered. "Sorry, I know you like to be up by seven, but...we thought you should get a little extra sleep since you came back so late."

"Ah, thank you."

Memories of last night's events flooded his mind, and Eren shot up out of bed.

"Oh that's's right! I got some stuff back from the café!" Eren grinned at Armin, his fatigue completely forgotten. "Did you see the box in the kitchen yet?"

"We saw it, yeah. But we didn't open it since we figured you brought it back."

"Let's go open it, then!" Eren stooped down and grabbed Armin by the hand "Come on! You're going to love this!" He pulled Armin to his feet and out of the bedroom in an excited haze.

"Eren!" Mikasa turned to the pair of them as they entered the living room and Eren grinned at her.

"I hope you haven't had breakfast yet, Mikasa, because I got something for us."

Eren let go of Armin's hand, hopped over to the counter, grabbed the box and put it on the small table in the middle of the room. Armin and Mikasa gathered around him, and Eren excitedly opened the cardboard box to reveal seven honey coloured cupcakes, looking freshly baked despite being a day old.

"Woah, Owner Kirschtein really let you have this?" Armin said. "You've never gotten to take any cakes back before."

"She sure did." Eren beamed. "I think she must have been impressed with that one chocolate cake I made a few days ago. It sold really well."

"This is great, Eren." Mikasa gave her usual small, but loving, smile.

"Well come on then. There's no use just looking at them," said Eren. "Let's have breakfast."

"I'll get us some water." Armin said and turned to the fridge.

"I'll get the plates." Mikasa turned and opened a cabinet carefully.

The three of them enjoyed their unusual breakfast together, the room filled with the sounds of small talk and chewing. All too soon, Armin had to leave for school, which started at eight thirty. He had been the only one of them fully dressed the whole time. Eren wanted to walk him to school as usual, but the two of them stopped him.

"Eren, you're not dressed." Mikasa had said. "You want to go outside in your underwear and a t-shirt?"

Eren had felt his cheeks heat up.

"I can get dressed quickly-"

"It's okay, Eren. I'll see you later. Bye you two."

And Armin had been out the door before Eren could say another word.

Without Armin, Eren noticed an abrupt change in the room's atmosphere. He looked at Mikasa, who had started putting the plates and cups into the dishwasher with her back to him. There silence was ringing with the build-up of a suspicious kind of tension, and Eren knew what was coming. He had hoped Mikasa wouldn't be like this today, it wasn't like Eren was out at night that often.

"Did you have walk again yesterday?"

Her tone was casual, not even a hint of the tension drenching the room. Although her back was still turned, Eren looked away from her, as though she had eyes on the back of her head.

"Yeah." Eren said evenly. "I got off pretty late, Jean was working the evening, and I felt I needed to clear my head."

"I see," Mikasa responded. "Can you come back before midnight next time?"

Eren looked at her, meeting her eyes as she turned to him.

"Yeah. I'll try and do that next time. " Eren said and rose from his chair. "Sorry. I must have lost track of time. I didn't realise it had gotten so late until I got back. Jean really worked me up."

Mikasa only nodded, and Eren walked past her and into the bathroom. It had been a while since Mikasa had last asked Eren what made him come home so late after a job. Eren had a few late nights out even before he started taking out targets, so he didn't get why Mikasa still bothered to question him. A voice in his mind told him it was just because she worried for him. Eren knew she did, just like they both worried for Armin, but Eren could take care of himself. He had been out plenty of times already and come back without as much as a scratch, so surely he had proved she had little to worry about by now. He had even assured her he carried his knife at all times, just like she did.

The first few times Eren had come back late, Mikasa had made to check his breath for the smell of alcohol, and looked into his eyes to see if he had taken any drugs, and when she was forced to conclude Eren was completely sober and clean, she had questioned him relentlessly for half an hour, and spent another hour just observing him without talking to him at all. Even the next few times Eren had came home after ten, she had persisted to examine him for drugs and alcohol, which was pretty pointless considering Eren wouldn't even have had the money to waste buying himself a cheap drink.

Eren turned on the water and splashed some on his face. He could understand Mikasa's concerns, he really could, but that didn't mean it didn't make his head ache and his temper flare up. Sometimes he wondered how Mikasa would like it if he kept questioning her about her whereabouts when she came home later than usual, except of course, Mikasa was always on time, and strong. Eren didn't like to admit it, but he didn't hold a candle to Mikasa. She was both stronger physically and could use a knife to defend herself more efficiently than Eren. There was little point questioning her. Eren had even seen her throw a fully grown man into a wall. The last person Eren needed to worry about was Mikasa. It was usually the two of them worrying about and looking out for Armin, whose strengths lay in his intelligence.

Eren wanted to take his time brushing his teeth, but Mikasa's work started before his did, so she would need the bathroom soon. Mikasa usually went before Eren did, but he had momentarily forgotten this routine in his haste to get away before he lost his temper with her. Felling sufficiently calmer but still a bit on edge, Eren finished up and headed back out, hoping Mikasa would prioritize getting ready to leave instead of picking up where they left off.

Without a word, Eren went into the bedroom and over to the small dresser to pull out the only other shirt and trousers he owned. As he dressed, Eren heard Mikasa close the bathroom door after herself. Eren debated heading out before she did, the café opened at ten today, so he could spend the time wandering around town. Would Mikasa get suspicious if he left before her? Would it seem like he was avoiding her, running away? Eren didn't want her to think he was too cowardly to confront her; he just wanted to get out and cool down completely before work.

His decision made, Eren briskly walked out of the bedroom and grabbed his jacket.

"I'm leaving early today." He called to the bathroom door, keeping his voice as casual as he could. "See you later."

* * *

Levi was dressed in a smart black suit, hardly expensive but looks deceived, and that was exactly the plan. He scanned the busy platform with an emotionless stare. All around him people were going about their business, some running to catching their trains. He had been standing there for a good half hour already, and his patience was wearing thin. The train had started boarding a minute ago too. Just as Levi had started cursing in his head, a young, short woman, with shoulder-length blonde hair, dressed in a suit, came trotting towards him, carrying a suitcase. Behind her, three men appeared from the crowd, also dressed smartly in different coloured suits and brandishing suitcases of their own. The woman reached Levi's side first.

"So-so sorry we're a little late." She panted.

"What happened?" Levi asked casually.

"Well..eh...Auruo-"

"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" One of the men burst out. "The attendant dropped my suitcase and-"

"Okay. Calm down." The man with light brown hair in a ponytail said in good nature.

"Yes. It doesn't really matter now, does it?" The third man said, tipped his hat a little forward and smiled.

"Yes it does. If the taxi company can't even hire-"

Levi gave a small tut despite himself. "Calm down, all of you. We need to be more low key. We can talk in the compartment."

Although his voice had been low, the three men and the woman immediately quieted and focused on Levi.

"Yes, captain." They all managed to say in unison.

"Have you already forgotten we're in public? Lay off that word for the time being. Now," Levi said, and started towards the train,"we go to Trost."

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

**Well this is the darkest thing I've ever written, or at least it will be once it's complete. It's also the cutest, funnily enough.**

**I wanted to play around with Eren's dark side, and what it could develop into if given the settings and motives. There's reasons behind everything he does, which you will see later.**

**And no, Jean is not as much a jerk as Eren makes him out to be.**

**Certain things are only hinted at so far. More about the story world will be explained and become apparent as the story progresses. Such as technology, social systems, etc...**

**Also, Squad Levi detective team anyone? Well they're not exactly detectives per say...**

**Please don't be afraid to point out any mistakes and grammar errors. It helps me out a lot.**

_**Disclaimers: Shingeki No Kyojin doesn't below to me. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Trost's largest pedestrian street was a sea of people dressed in coats, scarves and hats.

The crisp air made Eren's lungs burn as he took a long, slow breath. He tried his best to tune out the chatter drumming on his ears and avoid bumping into anyone. His skin crawled every time his sleeves and shoulders were brushed by a passerby, and he subtly patted his zipped-up pockets, reassured every time he felt the lump of his key and a few coins. The sinking horror of discovering a day's wages gone - taken from him right under his nose a year ago - had never quite left Eren's nerves.

The tall, white, wooden buildings and crowds made Eren's insides twist with something akin to mild claustrophobia. Why had he even decided to go the center of town today? The intermingled voices made his head ache, and the short range visibility, coupled with his constant urge to reach into his pocket and hold onto his key, had Eren feeling like a rabbit caught in a snare.

At least he had long since passed the only road which permitted motorized vehicles and didn't have to endure the rumble of car engines. He couldn't wait to get into a quieter street. He regretted not going to the forest instead, but for some reason, and Eren wasn't sure what it was, he always felt uneasy about going back into the forest the day after a job. As though it was too soon, and the daylight would expose him. He needed the safety of darkness, he needed cover.

Keeping his head down, Eren quickened his pace, weaving his way the best he could among the pedestrians, eager to get to work where he only had to deal with a few people at a time. The thought of a ten hour work day ahead of him, after a tense walk, weighed heavy in his gut, but Eren would get through it. He thought about Armin, and Mikasa in a good mood, and his feet seemed a little lighter.

Finally nearing the end of the main street, on a whim, Eren looked up at the clock tower. He had another half hour before the café opened. At the end of the street he could choose between three different directions to turn, and it didn't really matter which way he took, he could find his way to the café from anywhere in town. He knew Trost almost as well as the back of his hand, a fact he was both proud of and resented. Forging a mental map of the large town hadn't been exactly voluntary nor under pleasant circumstances. The knowledge did come in useful on his jobs, though. Now, the only unknown part to him was the richest district, where only business people lived, which he had so far walked around, and yet to actually venture into.

Eren paused as the street split. He didn't know why, but it was as though an unknown force pulled on his senses, telling him to take the road to the left. If he walked far enough down that street and turned left again to follow an even smaller path, he would end up very close to the alley he had disposed of last night's target in. It wasn't like Eren usually wanted to return to the scene of the action the day after - so why did he want to today?

With slower steps, Eren started down the street.

Was it really a good idea to trust this feeling? In the past, whenever he had followed his senses, he had been spared quite a lot of trouble, which was how he had learned to let his gut guide him whenever he could. It had been a flash of intuition that had led him to find Mikasa all those years ago, saving her life, and more recently, Armin as well.

This time, though, should he doubt this feeling? Was it really leading him where he suspected?

It was perhaps pure curiosity, the burning urge to find the truth, which compelled Eren to make the left turn and keep walking down the small street until his suspicions were confirmed. He halted at the end of a narrow alley, much like the one he had been waiting for his target in last night.

He was hyperaware of any prying eyes as he looked out onto the larger street. A few people walked by further away, but nobody else seemed to be around. With a small nervous tingle in his stomach, he turned to look at the alley from last night.

His stomach jumped.

Two men were standing there, right at the entrance. The one wearing a black hat was seemingly casually looking out into the street with his back turned to the alley. The second man, who appeared considerably shorter, was facing the alley itself, as though surveying it.

_The Police?_

No, that couldn't be? The police always wore uniforms. These men were dressed normally in coats, like any civilians out for a stroll.

Eren's stomach was doing tiny summersaults, and he carefully took a step back, hiding himself more from view.

_Calm down. There's no way they're police. They're probably just normal people who wandered by. Yes, that's right. There was some blood left there yesterday. They probably saw something from the street and are checking it out. Yes, they're just a couple of normal people who happened to spot the stains. There's no way they could know what happened there._

_But..._

What if they went to the police? Eren had left a few messes in the past and the police had so far seemed happily unaware, or perhaps tried to investigate but given up due to a lack of solid leads. Even if these men were to report to the police, he was sure nothing in that alley would lead back to him, or to what happened last night.

_They have nothing. That blood could have been from a fight for all they know. It's close to the druggie district, it wouldn't be that unusual. Right? Right._

The shorter man slowly walked into the alley and out of sight.

Eren leaned forward as far as he dared, straining to see. Were they talking? He couldn't hear anything from his distance, but he dared not venture closer and risk being seen. A part of him was screaming to get away before he was spotted, while another part wanted to stay and find out what the men would do. How much time did he have left before work?

He couldn't see the clock tower from here, and didn't carry a watch on him. As much as he wished to stay and leave at the same time, he definitely couldn't be late for work. He had to go, now.

Not risking running before he was well away from the alley, Eren briskly walked back the way he had come, his mind racing with questions.

* * *

Levi picket up the receiver and, without looking at the buttons, dialed a number quickly, fingers moving with an automatic air of familiarity. Levi listened to three consecutive beeps before a male voice greeted him from the other end.

"Good Morning."

"Hardly. The earliest damn train? Really? You can be glad they serve tea on trains these days."

"You said you wanted to get to Trost as quickly as possible. I take it you're there now?"

"We're here, yes."

"Good. How was the journey?"

"Noisy and boring, as expected."

"You're at the safe house?"

"Yes."

"Ah, so how is it?"

Levi's eyes narrowed and his voice dropped an octave lower as he replied, "Filthy."

"Sorry to hear that. Though I suppose it was only to be expected. I hope you can put off cleaning urges for a little while longer. There's something I need you to do right away. We have a lead."

"Listening." Levi said.

"After you left this morning, Nanaba called. She said one of her associates found some suspicious blood stains in an alley. She couldn't get to the scene because of work. I'd like you to check it out."

"It could be our guy, yes. But we have to see the scene first to form any conclusion. Did she mention the police?"

"No. I don't think the police have been informed. The alley is apparently a small side street close to the rougher part of town. There likely wouldn't be any civilians stumbling upon it and alerting the police. But if it happens, Nanaba will inform me about it."

"Let's hope for that. If those nosy rats took an interest here...Close to the rough part of town, huh? We'll find it."

After hanging up, Levi left the small barren office. When he walked into the living, he immediately addressed the four people waiting for him there.

"We have a lead. Erd, Auruo, Petra, go take a look around town. Map out the layout. Go to the outskirts too."

"Yes, sir." The three said.

"Gunter. With me." Levi said, already walking in the direction of the door. "We're going to check out this new lead."

"Yes, sir."

The five of them put on coats quickly and left their temporary base. The place was a two storey house, painted white like most buildings in Trost. The top and bottom floors were different flats, both rented out to Levi and the team. Impeccably domestic and definitely not Levi's accustomed scene, but at least it was quiet.

"We meet back here in two hours." Levi said. "Spread out so you can cover a wider area."

The other four nodded and parted ways. The man walking by Levi's side, Gunter Shulz, was the only one of the five who had previously been to Trost. Levi explained to him the information he had been given over the phone. Although it had been years since Gunter last set foot in Trost, he seemed to recall where the rougher part of town was, and lead the way.

It took them close to thirty minutes to navigate their way through the town and another few before they found the correct alley.

Levi surveyed the dried, dark red stains on the cobbles with narrowed eyes. A couple of silent minutes passed before Levi took a few smooth, feathery light steps into the narrow alleyway.

"Sir?" Gunter turned from his position as lookout to cast a glance at Levi.

"Definitely stabbed to death. " Levi said. " Oh and what have we here..." He crouched down by the stains and pointed at what appeared to be one third of a red footprint. "Seems like someone stepped in a little blood. Gross. Couldn't be the stabbed victim - would have been more footprints. No, this was the killer."

"You're really sure someone was killed here last night, sir?"

"Without a doubt."

"No disrespect, sir," Gunter said, "but how do you figure? I mean – all we have are some dried blood stains. I mean I know it can tells us a lot but –we can tell someone was definitely killed last night from that alone?"

Levi stood back up, faced Gunter and pointed at the blood. "These are the only blood stains. If someone was stabbed and survived they would either have tried to leave the scene, or were carried away by someone else. In either of those scenarios the wounded would have left a nice blood trail for us to follow. But there isn't a clear trail here. If the person was alive and carried off, at least some drops of blood would have been left behind them. The person died on this spot and was moved somehow without leaving more stains...At least, that's what the killer thought."

"So there is a trail?" Gunter said.

"Yes and no. The killer made a mistake." Levi looked down the darker part of the alley. "He accidentally stepped in the blood with what looks like the tip of his shoe. Which should mean..." Levi's eyes scanned the ground and walked further into the alley. "There is a small trail of blood here. Not smudged, so it confirms the body wasn't dragged. It was carried."

"So we need to find out where it was carried to?" Gunter said, righting his hat.

"Exactly." Levi looked back at Gunter. "The trail stops here so no use trying to follow it. But it does tell us something." Levi turned back around and started down the alley again. "The killer probably knows this town very well and makes good use of these hidden streets. We follow this cramped-ass alley and see where it leads. Follow me and don't step in the blood."

"Yes, sir." Gunter carefully sidestepped the blood stains and started trotting after Levi.

* * *

Eren's thoughts were running in circles. Who where those men by the alley? What were they doing there? The questions repeated themselves like a broken record, and Eren couldn't fathom a plausible answer, least not one which worked in his favour.

He got to work almost five minutes too late for the first time, and apologized profusely to Owner Kirscthein, who waved him off saying at least tardiness proved he was human.

Eren fought his runaway thoughts from distracting him as he made apple pies. He could not recall feeling so tense when putting in ingredients since his first try at baking. Owner Kirschtein had been instructing him thoroughly back then, but even so, Eren had been constantly worrying about putting in too much or too little of everything. A part of his mind had constantly piped up to tell him he didn't know how to bake and so he should just give up. Eren had almost growled out loud when he had mentally shouted back. He was going to master this. He might not have known how to do it before, but he was damn well going to learn it now. He was going to bake like his life depended on it, which in a way, to Eren, wasn't too far from the truth. He had doubted Kirschtein would fire him if he couldn't learn how to bake it, knowing it was a silly assumption, but he hadn't been completely sure.

He had no choice. He had to master backing. In only a few weeks, Eren had most of the recipes stuck to memory, and with positive customer feedback, he had grown pretty confident in his newly learned skills. Just a year ago, Eren would have never even imagined he would one day be good at cooking any type of food, especially not cakes. He had never even thought he would ever afford to eat cake, yet alone bake one.

It took a couple of hours before Eren managed to lose himself to his work, but whenever he had a break to eat a sandwich he was allowed from the café kicthen, his thoughts kept wandering back to earlier this morning. As much as Eren was sure no one could trace any leads back to him, he still found himself contemplating what would happen if it did. If the police came to arrest him, what would happen to Armin and Mikasa?

Although they hadn't personally taken part in any of Eren's jobs, nor knew anything about them, it wasn't like their record was entirely clean either. Eren was pretty sure nobody would be able to find out what happened the day Eren had first met Mikasa. Eren's father had made sure the kidnapper's bodies had vanished, so she should be pretty safe. Armin hadn't even hurt a fly as far as Eren knew - but the incident a few months ago...

No, Eren would take sole responsibility for that if it ever came to light. Nobody would have to know Armin's involvement.

After the thought of Armin and Mikasa being dragged into some kind of police investigation, Eren couldn't distract himself again no matter how much he tried. It was fortunate his baking duties were over for the day because he was sure he would have messed up the cakes at this rate. Talking to customers proved a bit troublesome as well as he needed to ask several to repeat their order because he had been too immersed in thoughts. By the time his workday was over, Eren was nursing a headache from contemplating so many scenarios, and still the only thing he knew for sure was if he ever did end up wanted by the police, he would have no clue what to actually do.

The sun had set and the last light of the dying day painted the clouds an orange tinged pink across a grayish blue sky. Walking down the streets, Eren couldn't suppress the urge to look over his shoulder a few times, even though he knew nobody was stalking him.

It felt as though a small weight lifted off his shoulders when he met up with Mikasa. Dressed in her only coat, her velvet scarf wrapped neatly around her neck, and her cobalt hair lightly blowing strands across her face gave her a look of intimidating elegance. Her black coat made her difficult to spot when she walked through shadows, and the smooth gait making her footsteps almost completely silent. A feline on the prowl, calm, collected, and always aware of her surroundings, that was Mikasa. Eren was sure she would have been at least ten times better at performing his jobs than he was.

"How was your day?" she asked quietly from beside him.

"Nice." Eren said, glad his voice sounded completely casual. "My cakes sold pretty well, and Jean didn't show his face."

She nodded - her normal sign of acknowledging an answer.

"Yours?" Eren said.

"It was nice, too."

They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached their destination; a small secondhand bookshop and trading shop where Armin worked part time four days a week. As they were about to enter, the door opened and Armin walked outside in his slightly too big chestnut brown coat. The small bag he used for school supplies was slung over his shoulder, and his faded blue knitted scarf wrapped high around his neck, concealing his mouth.

Eren couldn't help but find Armin looking adorably amusing in clothes a few sizes too big for him. If Mikasa was a large feline, then Armin was a puppy - or a kitten - Eren couldn't quite decide which.

Armin had taken no more than three steps forwards before Eren strode forth with a grin and slid and arm around his shoulders. Armin immediately leaned into Eren and pulled down his scarf a little so he could smile back at him. Mikasa sidled up on Armin's other side so close their arms were touching, and the three of them began their journey home.

The sky turned dark quickly, and the streetlight provided the only source of light, leaving the small and narrow side alleys in impenetrable shadow. Walking with Armin and Mikasa in the light, this was the only time Eren felt uneasy towards the darkness. He was usually the one lurking in shadows, knew well how easy it was to conceal oneself in them, to see without being seen. Who knew what lay waiting there now?

He squeezed Armin a little closer.

They had just reached an empty street when cold chills ran down Eren's spine.

Four large figures were approaching them.

Eren wished they were just ordinary passersby, but he couldn't deny recognising the signs of intimidation coming from them – the long strides, the confident swinging shoulders, and the way the group spread out across the whole width of the street. Eren had seen these types of people many times, but had never targeted them because they always seemed to travel in groups.

Mikasa caught Eren's eyes for a second, an immediate understanding between them. She subtly shuffled even closer to Armin and squeezed her shoulder against his. Armin looked from Eren to Mikasa for a moment, and Eren felt him stiffen a bit up against his side, his expression turning serious in comprehension.

The men's features became clear under the streetlights –their ages could range anywhere from mid twenties to mid thirties. The one in the middle had a small, dark, braided beard which Eren would have usually found comical if the man hadn't been gazing at them with a snide grin and a fierce gleam in his eyes.

"Good evening, kids." The man said, only a few feet away now. "Out for a nice walk in the fresh night air, are we?"

Eren ignored him, kept looking ahead, but still watching the group of men through his peripheral vision. Armin pointedly looked forward with a blank expression, and Mikasa's face remianed stoic, her eyes like dark ice.

"Hey, kids!" another man said. "We're talking to you!"

Eren already knew ignoring the men wouldn't work this time, not when they were all starting to look excited and smile at each other conspiratorially.

"Man, kids these days." The one with the braided beard said, sounding amused. "They're so rude. What would your parents say?"

Warning bells chimed in Eren's head. They had been so close to home too. Shady people seldom came to these parts. Why did it have to happen tonight when they were walking home?

The four men spread out even more across the street, blocking the path and forcing Eren, Armin and Mikasa to stop.

"We don't have any money." said Eren firmly, trying to keep the malice from his voice. "We have nothing."

"Did we ask for money?" the bearded one said. "No, we didn't. I merely asked you a question and you rudely ignored me. Such behavior is hardly acceptable in polite society, now is it?"

The three other men nodded in agreement with the bearded one.

"We're sorry." Mikasa spoke up evenly. "Please forgive our disrespect."

The men looked a little taken aback at the apology. The bearded one traded a quick glance with his companions for a moment before regarding Eren, Armin and Mikasa.

"Well, I suppose we could do that." He scratched his beard briefly, as though for show. "We're reasonable people, after all. I'll tell you what, kids. You give us all you've got on you, and we say lesson well learnt." His eyes moved to Armin's bag for barely a second, making his intent clear.

"We have nothing you would want. No money." Eren said, feeling his voice strain a little. "There are only some old books in that bag."

It was true. Mikasa never carried money if she wasn't specifically running an errand to buy supplies. Armin didn't bring money to work or school anymore either.

"I'll be the judge of that." The man said and held out his palm. "Open the bag, kid."

Armin stiffly stepped out of Eren's hold, removed the bag from his shoulder and opened it up carefully. He still kept his expression somewhat blank as he held the bag in front of him for display. Eren knew Armin was trying to avoid eye contact with the thugs on purpose, to make himself less interesting, his presence bleaker - a necessary technique from the orphanage days for avoiding a gruesome fate.

The bearded man peered inside the bag for a moment before taking it abruptly from Armin's hands. He rummaged through the contents, which were indeed only old books Armin had borrowed from the bookshop's storage.

"Good on you for telling the truth, kid." The man said, although sounding a lot less amused. "Only books in here. Alright then –"

He threw the bag back to Armin, who barely managed to catch it with fumbling hands.

"Empty your pockets."

The beast within Eren growled, heat spreading through his body and making his fingers itch for the blade hidden in trouser pocket. Several different ways to cut through this man's vital organs rushed through his mind. His hands twitched. This was humiliating. It would be so easy to just grab his knife and let the rage free...

Armin's settled back close to Eren's side and his arm brushed against him.

That's right - Armin and Mikasa were here. He had to remain as calm as possible – avoid conflict – avoid a fight as long as you can. Those were Mikasa's words to him from several years ago.

Eren inhaled slowly through his nose as he reached into his jacket pockets. His breath almost hitched. That's right; he had coins in his pockets! Hardly enough to even buy a single wrapped candy, but nevertheless valuable when you needed everything you could get.

Eren hesitated, watched Armin and Mikasa turn the pockets of their coats inside out and revealing nothing, not even their house keys. Eren still didn't know where Mikasa kept hers, but Armin didn't carry one today.

The men looked disappointed, and the bearded one's brows were furrowed. Eren was tempted to say a smug 'I told you so', but the coins and one key turning hot from the body heat against his hand kept him quiet.

The bearded man's gaze turned to Eren. "You too. Turn the pockets."

Eren wanted to swallow, but refrained, not wanting to look nervous. He turned out the empty pocket first, trying not to seem too slow. Meanwhile his mind was racing. Should he hide the coins and key in his hand and hope the men wouldn't notice? There was a good chance these men were familiar with the trick. Should he just hide the key then? The coins were regrettable but the key held more importance. Eren definitely didn't want to grant thugs an open door to his home. He made his decision.

He curled his fingers around the key, and pushed it into his sleeve as he turned the pocket inside out. The five coins hit the cobble stones with light chimes.

The bearded man raised one eyebrow. "Well now. Looks like we have ourselves a liar." The man's lips pulled back into a small grin. "Your rudeness really hurts my feelings."

Eren wanted to hurt more than the man's feelings already. He bit back the retort.

"Pick up the money, boy. " The man's grotesque smile fell. "All of it."

Armin and Mikasa's anticipating gazes bore into him. The last thing Eren wanted to do was bow down and pick up the coins, and it had nothing to do with handing over the money. He wanted to refuse, to growl an insult in the man's face and walk away -or even better-end the man's existence right here. But of course he couldn't. No – he had to control himself for the sake of Armin and Mikasa.

Armin started to bend down and Eren quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

Eren might not be able to save himself the humiliation, but he was definitely not letting Armin lower himself in front of scum like these men.

With gritted teeth, he squat down and picked up the coins from around Armin's feet. When he rose back up again, the bearded man beckoned Eren to hold out his palm.

With a growling beast in his mind, Eren slowly held out his hand and the man swiftly took the coins from him.

"Thank you." The man said in a horribly false sweet voice. "See? That was polite. But you lied to us, didn't you? It's almost nothing, but –it's still money. Lying is such a bad habbit-" he turned to his group "isn't it, boys?"

The three other men nodded eagerly in agreement, malicious glints in their eyes.

"I think you need to learn your lesson a little better, kid."

All eyes were on Eren now, closing him in, like a pack of wild dogs on prey.

Of course handing over all their money weren't enough. These men were like cats playing with their food, and Eren, Armin and Mikasa were the mice. For once, Eren cursed the lack of normal people on the streets at night in this town.

Eren quickly put his pockets back, sliding the key inside as he did. The men were closing in now, surrounding them, and Eren stepped in front of Armin. Mikasa doing the same and ending up next to Eren, her eyes narrowed.

Take the beating willingly and hope to be in shape enough to walk home afterwards? Or fight back and run? Eren was sure these men were armed, and if they had guns...

In the blink of an eye, Mikasa launched a well aimed kick into a man's stomach, sending him tumbling backwards. The other men froze momentarily in surprise, and Eren seized the chance. The bearded man caught Eren's gaze a split second before the punch hit him in an eye. The man cried out and stumbled, but didn't fall.

Eren didn't have time to land another punch; Mikasa kicked another man in the diaphragm, creating an opening. Eren spun round, grabbed hold of Armin's coat and pulled him into a run. Only a step later, Armin let out a gasp, and he was yanked out of Eren's grip. The force made Eren stumble and almost fall backwards. He turned back round just in time to see Armin being shoved down to the ground by one of the men.

Eren's heart jumped into his throat. He let out a guttural yell, and ran towards the man as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out his knife. He sliced the sleek blade through the air.

The man managed to step back and the knife grazed his forearm, sending scarlet drops sailing.

Eren positioned himself between the thug and Armin. "Touch him and die!" Eren snarled at the man, holding up his knife in a fighting stance, ready to strike at any moment. From the corner of his eye, Eren saw Armin getting back to his feet.

"You okay?" Eren said quickly.

"Y-yeah..." Armin replied from behind Eren

Eren's move had been the trigger. Knives were being pulled out from sleeves and pockets, reflecting flares of light.

Armin pressed close to Eren's side. Mikasa positioned herself back to back with Eren and Armin, the three of them forming a tiny circle. Armin fumbled a little as he reached under his coat and found his knife. He held it up with a slight tremble in his hands, but his face determined.

Eren was used to ambushing – fighting head on with larger opponents stacked the odds horribly against his favour. Not that it would stop him.

The man directly in front of Eren was nursing the cut on his arm with a scowl on his face, looking like he was picturing Eren's violent death.

Eren looked the man straight in the eyes, mentally promising to do a lot more damage should he come any closer.

"Now now, kids." The bearded man hissed as he stepped forth. "Careful. You might hurt yourselves. Sharp objects are dangerous, you know." The man's face contorted into a furious grimace, a dark bruise already forming around his left eye.

Eren bared his teeth like a wolf in a silent growl, glaring at the men with fire in his eyes. The weight of his knife seemed to disappear, as though fusing with his hand. His skin itched with heated energy, the urge to attack engulfing him like a predator sinking its fangs into the soft flesh of prey.

_No! Calm down._

This wasn't a job. This was self preservation. This was protection. He wasn't alone this time. Armin and Mikasa were here and ready to fight by his side. Eren couldn't see Mikasa's face, but her killing intent hang palpable in the air, thick like a shield and pinning the men in front of her to their spot.

The standstill seemed to last for minutes, as though time had slowed down. The thugs' eyes roamed over the three of them with scrutiny. Sizing them up like predators singling out the weakest in the pack.

Similarly, Eren kept looking for an opening to escape. If he ran now, Armin and Mikasa would be left open. They had to move together.

"You're some damn interesting, kids, aren't ya?" The bearded man gazed from Eren to Mikasa. "No stranger to the rough life. Used to fighting too - Or at least...Two of you are."

The men moved so fast and with such perfect synchronisation, Eren didn't have time to react. The bearded man charged towards Armin-

_No!_

But Eren could do nothing as two men were looming over him like bears - coming at him with their knives. Something heavy hit Eren's side hard. A hand grabbed the wrist of his knife hand, pushing it upward. He fell to the ground and into a roll.

Arms encircled his upper body, he saw a flash of blond hair, and caught the familiar scent. The rolling stopped and Eren looked up into the face of the person lying on top of him.

Armin!

A female voice grunted next to him, and he turned his head to see Mikasa swing back up on her feet. Armin's weight disappeared from his chest, and a hand grabbed the front of his jacket.

"Quick. Get up!" Armin shouted.

Eren didn't need telling twice. He sprung to his feet, grabbed Armin's hand and started bolting down the street. His knife still in hand, so he couldn't take a hold of Mikasa, but her silhouette appeared by Eren's side in an instant.

The three of them were sprinting so fast Eren didn't have time to feel relief, his only focus was getting away as fast of he could. Their escape route led them in the opposite direction of home, but Eren didn't care, he could find an alternate way.

He wasn't sure how many corners they had rounded before other people came into view. Eren didn't think he had ever been so glad to see normal people before in his life. He listened for pursuing footsteps, but there was none, and he finally slowed down to a hasty walk.

His own heartbeats pounded in his ears, and the grip on his knife was so tight his fingers ached. He looked round at the few people around and shakily tucked his knife into his pocket before anyone saw it.

Mikasa's face came into view beside him, she was breathing a little harshly through her mouth, and her hair was windswept, but otherwise she appeared unharmed. Eren heard Armin gasping to catch his breath, and he slowed down his pace even more.

Armin's hand was drenched in cold sweat, but Eren still held it tight.

"You two okay?" Eren's whispered.

"Y..yes." Armin breathed.

Mikasa gave a quick nod.

The three of them walked along the wider streets for what felt like a very long time, and the amount of other people around grew scarcer. Eren didn't dare take his eyes and attention away from the surroundings as he led the way through several narrow alleyways. It wasn't until the forest came into view, a black masse behind the scattering of small houses, that Eren finally slacked his grip on Armin's hand and dared look at his face.

Eren's heart constricted and his breath caught in his throat. His hands jumped to cup Armin's jaw.

Armin flinched at the quick action, but didn't resist as Eren pulled his head up to let the streetlight fall upon his face. Dark red streaks leaked from a jagged wound running horizontally across Armin's left cheekbone.

For a moment, the world spun, and Eren was back in the orphanage, sitting with Armin and Mikasa on a bed in a dark corner.

A few feet away, a ten year old boy lay on a mattress and vomited copiously onto the floor. He had fallen and cut his cheek on a nail protruding from a piece of wood in the yard. The wound was a few weeks old already, and oozing white pus, the flesh around it swollen with a dark shade of purple and red.

The door at the end of the room banged open, casting a square of light into the large room. Two female workers stomped inside and over to the sick boy. The adults grabbed the boy by his arms and clothes and hoisted him up. The boy's head lolled, red vomit dribbling down his chin.

"Ugh, how disgusting. And he can't even walk." One of the workers said, scrunching up her nose. "We can't keep him here."

"The director will not be happy about this." The other said. "If we lose another one..."

"Hush!" the first one whispered. "Not in here, Gerd. Come, let's get going. I can't stand the stench much longer."

The workers dragged the limp boy from the room, leaving the puddles of sick behind.

Eren never saw the boy again. Since then Eren had always been extremely attentive to any injuries Armin and Mikasa sustained. Now Armin sported a cut in the exact same place as the boy from all those years ago.

"You said you were okay!" Eren blurted. "Which one did it? Was it the one with the stupid beard? That bastard-"

"I am okay, really. It's just a surface cut." Armin said. "I must have been grazed when I pushed you down. It looks worse than it is, really. Head wounds bleed more."

"Are you sure?" Eren said. "But what if it gets infected-"

"Calm down, Eren." Mikasa's said. "We're all still on edge. But we'll take care of it when we get home."

Mikasa's hand landed gently on Eren's shoulder, and he sighed.

"You're right." Eren let go of Armin's face. "We need to get away from the open. Let's go."

He grabbed Armin's hand again, and Mikasa's sleeve. He practically dragged the other two down the tiny road.

* * *

Eren sat squeezed in next to Armin on the sofa, anxiously watching Mikasa dab a wet cloth at the wound on Armin's face. She reached for a teaspoon and little jar of honey from the table, applied one spoonful of the liquid onto the cloth and lightly smeared it across Armin's wound. They made sure to keep honey in the house at all times ever since Armin had read a book about herbal home remedies. When she was done, she put a strip of bandage on the wound and handed Armin another spoonful of honey to eat, just in case.

The only lamp in the living room cast a soft yellow light upon Armin's face, making his fair hair seem to glisten like the honey he was eating. Golden and warm, with the shining baby blue eyes, Armin was like the very personification of a bright summer's day.

Eren wanted to bathe in that warmth and he almost gave into the overwhelming urge to bury his face in Armin's hair. Instead he leaned his shoulder against Armin's, and inhaled the scent he had grown so incredibly familiar with, slightly obscured by the sweet smell of honey. Eren thought it only complimented Armin's summery smell further. Maybe he should get him some honey-scented soap...

Armin was alive. Mikasa was alive. They had made it through another ordeal. Armin had been the one who pushed Eren out of the way. Armin had saved them.

"You saved us, Armin, didn't you? What even happened back then?" Eren whispered. "Everything was so fast."

"I could see what those men were going to do." Armin said. "They could tell I was the weak spot. When I saw them glancing at each other, it was like they were silently telling each other what to do. So I moved right before they did. I could only grab one of you, so I gave Mikasa a little shove right before I pushed you down. I lost my knife, though. Sorry"

"You're amazing, I've told you that, right?" Eren hugged Armin tightly, finally giving in and burying his face in the golden hair.

"Only so many times I've lost count." Armin said.

"Good." Eren murmured.

"It was brilliant." said Mikasa, wrapping her own arms around Armin and kissing his uninjured cheek.

"It was just quick thinking." Armin mumbled.

"It was life saving thinking." Eren kissed the top of his head. "Don't worry about the knife. We'll get you another one." He ruffled Armin's hair playfully.

"It's not sure they would have killed us, though." said Armin. "It was in the middle of a street, after all. But then again they did look pretty mad."

"You can never know exactly what those kinds of people will do." Eren sank back down into the cushions. "It could have been like last time, for all we know. I- I felt myself almost lose it again - I was really scared - that it would end like last time."

"But it didn't." said Armin and put a hand on Eren's. "We got through it. You got through it. That's what matters."

Eren met Armin's eyes, gentle and innocent, like a baby animal, despite the horrors they had seen.

Comforting warmth burst in Eren's heart, and it felt as though his whole body sighed with relief. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. "Yeah...I guess you're right."

Dinner that night was a vegetable soup Mikasa had made earlier and stored in the fridge. After they had eaten, Armin massages Eren's shoulders while he sat between Armin's legs. One particular knot was too insistent for Armin and Mikasa had tried to loosen it instead, but Eren just yelped in pain and begged Armin to take over again, muttering about Mikasa always being so rough with him these days.

They sat up later than usual, cuddled up on the coach together and playing their own little card game. Being so close to each other, it was impossible to hide their hands, and as always, it resulted with each of them putting out cards favourable to the others. In the end, they had to end their game when Armin was half asleep with his head on Eren's shoulder.

* * *

The man's face twisted in a scowl, his mouth opened in a silent yell as he charged towards Eren.

Adrenaline shot through Eren's veins and his whole body tensed up. Weapon! He needed a weapon! A knife appeared in his hand – had he been holding it the whole time?

The man reached out a large palm, aiming for Eren's throat. Eren cut off the fingers. The hand withdrew but another took its place. Eren swung a cut at the wrist, severing the whole hand off this time.

The man's face came into view – skinless and red, muscles bulging. The mouth opened wide, showing yellowing teeth and a saliva coated tongue. The mouth enlarged as the man neared, the jaws breaking open.

Eren wanted to scream but no sound came. He was going to be eaten! He leaped, high like a jaguar. He swung his knife, now longer like a dagger, and sliced into a large shining black eye.

Burning hot liquid washed over Eren as the man combusted. Steam erupted everywhere and Eren stood on the ground again.

"Eren!"

He stiffened. He knew that voice! He turned around.

The steam evaporated and there stood Armin, in his oversized blue jumper, a book under his arm. He waved at Eren with a bright smile on his face, like always. Before Eren could respond, Mikasa appeared at Armin's side, her red scarf blowing lightly in the wind, her white nightgown contrasting vividly with her raven black hair.

Eren wanted to run towards them. He moved his legs but couldn't move.

The man was back again, in front of him, separating him from Armin and Mikasa. He reached for Eren again with two perfectly healthy hands.

Eren jumped aside and bolted towards his waiting friends, but the man cut him off again. Eren thrust his dagger into the man's chest, but the attack didn't work. The man kept reaching for him. He cut through the man's hand, stabbed his throat and stomach. Nothing worked. The man kept walking towards him. Eren tried to twist past him, to run around him. He man blocked his path every time.

He needed to get to Armin and Mikasa! He would die if he didn't, and they would die too!

His heart banged against his chest. He choked on his own breath. He clutched at his chest with his free hand and gulped in as much oxygen as he could. He cut into the man's forearm with his dagger and screamed. "Why won't you die?"

Eren didn't know when he had cut off the man's legs, but despite being a crawling mess on the floor, the man persisted. He reached out for Eren no matter what, now with a sadistic crooked smile on his mangled face.

Eren screamed his throat raw while cutting and stabbing violently into the man at his feet. "Die! Die! Leave me alone! Leave them alone! Leave! Go away!"

His lungs were too small; he couldn't get enough air into them, his chest burned like acid...

Eren's eyes flew open as he gasped out a ragged breath. A lump in his throat ached so much tears gathered in his eyes. He couldn't see anything in the darkness. He gripped the nearest thing he could in a death grip - a shirt. He realised he was pressed up against a warm body, and a familiar scent washed over him.

Armin!

Armin was here! He was safe.

Eren's whole chest ached with suppressed sobs. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks, and Eren pressed his face against the crook of Armin's neck. "Armin. Help me." The lump in his throat made his voice cracked and weak. He pressed as much of his body against Armin's as he could and tangled their legs together under the blankets.

His lungs were burning, his throat too tight to breath. Every gulp of air made him feel like sobbing, but he didn't even have the strength to cry. Was he dying? He pressed himself further against Armin's chest. Eren felt Armin put one arm around his waist, hugging him even closer, while the other snuck under his head. Light fingers entwined into his hair.

Pleasant shivers flowed down Eren's back like light caresses. The pressure around his upper body seemed to subside with each gentle and slow stroke through his hair. He let out a shaky breath against Armin's neck. His eyes closed and he slackened his grip on Armin's shirt, content to let his senses turn fuzzy and slip into a comforting slumber.

* * *

**Getting curious about the backstories yet? I hope so. I have a lot to show you if the story continues.**  
**The orphanage will be worse than you think. And yeah, there's that incident Eren mentioned too...**

**I hope the characters come off pretty decent. We see things from Eren's point of view, so we see characters the way he does. I don't want you to think I'm making Armin too fragile and innocent. He's not that physically strong, but he's strong in other ways. I really want to get that across.**

** And Levi making deductions...well he's no Sherlock Holmes, but he has experience with...life outside the law.**

**But I do actually need some feedback on whether or not this story is worth continuing. I have it planned, but I need to know if anyone is actually reading it. I'd love to write it but it really depends on reader interest from now on. So please let me know if you want more.**

**Also...**

**This fic is more or less an experiment with style and structure. Now, I haven't written in a while so I am a little rusty. English isn't my first language either. I want to make the reading experience emotional and interesting, though.**

**The story is from Eren's POV, as you can tell. But the scenes with Levi don't really have a focal character to show interior emotion and monologue. Would you like them to?**  
**The scenes are to show that stuff is going on which will eventually affect Eren's life. They're like those scenes at the beginning of the Harry Potter books without Harry in them.**

**Oh and for those who didn't read the manga, or forgot, Nanaba is an actual SnK character. She was the girl with short blonde hair who was with Christa in the forest of big-ass trees. But don't look up her wiki because it's spoilers galore over there.**

**I should probably mention, before anyone jumps on me: Honey can indeed be used as an antibiotic. Yes, you can put it on wounds as long as the honey is raw with no additives. Seriously, honey is incredibly useful. Look it up. I've used it and I'm still here.**


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